Helen Bleazard
{{Short description|Welsh footballer (born 1990)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Helen Bleazard
| image = Helen Bleazard 2015 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Helen Bleazard playing for Wales in September 2015
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1990|08|14}}
| birth_place = Yeovil, England
| height =
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 1999–2004 | youthclubs1 = Yeovil Town
| years1 = 2004–2005 | clubs1 = Yeovil Town | caps1 = | goals1 =
| years2 = 2005–2007 | clubs2 = Bristol City W.F.C. | caps2 = | goals2 =
| years3 = 2007–2008 | clubs3 = Bristol Academy | caps3 = | goals3 =
| years4 = 2008–2010 | clubs4 = Keynsham Town | caps4 = | goals4 =
| years5 = 2010 | clubs5 = Yeovil Town | caps5 = 6 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2011 | clubs6 = Bristol Academy | caps6 = 23 | goals6 = 9
| years7 = 2012–2013 | clubs7 = Chelsea Ladies | caps7 = 33 | goals7 = 8
| years8 = 2013–2017 | clubs8 = Yeovil Town | caps8 = 75 | goals8 = 13
| years9 = 2018– | clubs9 = Plymouth Argyle | caps9 = 44 | goals9 = 20
| nationalyears1 = 2011–2015 | nationalteam1 = Wales | nationalcaps1 = 43 | nationalgoals1 = 1
| club-update = 16:45, 28 Apr 2020 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Helen Bleazard (born 14 August 1990) is a former English–born footballer who played for the Welsh national team and Yeovil Town. She previously played in the FA WSL for Bristol Academy and Chelsea Ladies. Bleazard usually plays as a wide midfielder or forward and switched allegiance to Wales after playing for England at youth level.
Club career
After joining local side Yeovil Town at the age of nine, Bleazard eventually moved on to FA Women's Premier League club Bristol City at the end of season 2004–05.{{cite web|url=http://www.yeoviltownladies.com/history.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121143407/http://www.yeoviltownladies.com/history.html|archivedate=21 January 2013|title=Yeovil Town Ladies Club History|publisher=Yeovil Town Ladies FC|url-status=usurped|accessdate=19 June 2011}}
Bleazard signed a contract with FA WSL club Bristol Academy in February 2011.{{Citation needed|date=April 2014}} She helped the club qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time, by scoring in a 3–0 FA Women's Cup semi–final win over Liverpool Ladies at Haig Avenue.{{cite web|url=http://ladies.liverpoolfc.com/matchesReport/liverpool_v_bristol_academy_ladies_17_april_2011_report.html|title=Disappointing Liverpool bow out|publisher=Liverpool Ladies FC|accessdate=19 June 2011|date=22 April 2014|archive-date=7 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807011055/http://ladies.liverpoolfc.com/matchesReport/liverpool_v_bristol_academy_ladies_17_april_2011_report.html|url-status=dead}} At the FA Women's Cup final at the Ricoh Arena in May 2011 Bleazard struck the crossbar with a free kick, but Bristol were beaten 2–0 by Arsenal.{{cite web|url=http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Midfielder-unlikely-dwell-cup-loss/story-12125202-detail/story.html|title=Midfielder unlikely to dwell on cup loss|work=Western gazette|accessdate=19 June 2011|date=26 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809063421/http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Midfielder-unlikely-dwell-cup-loss/story-12125202-detail/story.html|archive-date=9 August 2011|url-status=dead}}
In February 2012 Bleazard signed for Bristol's WSL rivals Chelsea Ladies.{{cite web|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2602625|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140422212221/http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2602625|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 April 2014|title=THREE NEW SIGNINGS FOR CHELSEA LADIES|publisher=Chelsea F.C.|accessdate=22 April 2014|date=7 February 2012|author=Daniel Clarke}} She played for her new club in the 2012 FA Women's Cup Final, but they lost to Birmingham City on penalties after a 2–2 draw. After two seasons with Chelsea, Bleazard agreed a deal to return to Yeovil, whose application to the new second level of an enlarged WSL has been successful. Yeovil's chairman was enthused by the transfer, describing Bleazard as: "the best female player the town of Yeovil has ever produced."{{cite web|url=http://www.shekicks.net/news/view/8899|title=Yeovil Boosted by Bleazard|publisher=She Kicks|accessdate=18 November 2013|date=18 November 2013}}
International career
Bleazard represented England at Under–17 level,{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/England/Womens-u17s/news/2009/bronze_strikes_gold|title=Bronze Strikes Gold|publisher=The FA|accessdate=22 April 2014|date=29 March 2007}} and was called into the Under–20 squad during the 2008–09 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandwfc.homecall.co.uk/swfcnewsarchive_124.htm|title=International Recognition|publisher=Sunderland WFC|accessdate=22 April 2014|date=3 February 2009|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003200/http://www.sunderlandwfc.homecall.co.uk/swfcnewsarchive_124.htm|url-status=dead}} She was also selected for the England college team while attending Yeovil College.{{cite journal |url=http://www.yeovil.ac.uk/assets/files/Yeovil_College/Sports_Centre/Sports_News/Sports_News_Jan_Issue%202%20New.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008200443/http://www.yeovil.ac.uk/assets/files/Yeovil_College/Sports_Centre/Sports_News/Sports_News_Jan_Issue%202%20New.pdf#page=2 |archivedate=8 October 2011 |title=Sports News |publisher=Yeovil College |accessdate=19 June 2011|date=January 2008|volume=1|issue=2}}
Bleazard later switched her footballing allegiance to Wales and was named on the standby list for their March 2011 Algarve Cup campaign.{{cite web|url=http://www.faw.org.uk/news/FAW51047.ink |title=Women's Squad for Algarve Cup Named |publisher=FAW |accessdate=19 June 2011 |date=16 May 2011 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404094211/http://www.faw.org.uk/news/FAW51047.ink |archivedate=4 April 2012 }} Bristol Academy teammates Jessica Fishlock and Alex Culvin joked that Bleazard's eligibility for the Welsh national team arose from "her Nan's Sister's Brother's Aunty."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.shekicks.net/flog/blogs/post/322|title=Cup final special: get to know Bristol Academy|magazine=She Kicks|accessdate=21 May 2011|date=20 May 2011}}
Bleazard won her first senior cap for Wales playing on the left–wing in a 2–0 friendly defeat to New Zealand, played in Savièse on 15 June 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.faw.org.uk/news/FAW61560.ink |title=Wales v New Zealand –Match Report. |publisher=FAW |accessdate=19 June 2011 |date=16 May 2011 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404094220/http://www.faw.org.uk/news/FAW61560.ink |archivedate=4 April 2012 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://archive.today/20110419010105/http://www.bristolacademywfc.fawsl.com/playerProfile/helen_bleazard.html Bristol Academy] profile
- [http://chelsea.fawsl.com/playerProfile/helen_bleazard.html Chelsea] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140422212215/http://chelsea.fawsl.com/playerProfile/helen_bleazard.html |date=22 April 2014 }} profile
- {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20140422212153/http://www.yeoviltownladies.com/playerProfile/helen_bleazard.html Yeovil]}} profile
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130925104443/http://www.faw.org.uk/PlayerDisplay.ink?skip=0&squadno=48571&season=13/14&seasonl=2013/2014&Playertype=w FAW]}} profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bleazard, Helen}}
Category:Footballers from Yeovil
Category:Yeovil Town L.F.C. players
Category:Bristol Academy W.F.C. players
Category:Chelsea F.C. Women players
Category:Wales women's international footballers
Category:FA Women's National League players
Category:Women's Super League players
Category:Welsh women's footballers
Category:21st-century Welsh sportswomen
Category:Women's association football midfielders
Category:Keynsham Town L.F.C. players